The bill aims to address sexual harassment in the sciences by providing funding for additional research and encouraging uniform policy guidelines at federal agencies that award more than $100 million in research grants. One additional Republican, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-NY), is among the 27 co-sponsors of the bill. AERA released a statement in support of the bill upon its initial introduction in 2018.

“Sexual harassment in the academic workplace has been far too prevalent for far too long and must be eliminated,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “With this legislation, Congress has an opportunity to make a real difference through concrete, action-oriented steps directed at the pernicious problems so well identified in the recent National Academies consensus report.”

Beyond supporting this important legislation, AERA is working with the broader scientific community to help transform a culture of sexual harassment in the academy and scholarly professions.